In 2024, me and my teammate took on a 24-hour brief for the local Cannes Young Lions in Azerbaijan, building a full branding project from zero. We ended up winning first place among everyone, juniors and seniors, which meant we got to represent Azerbaijan at the actual Cannes Young Lions in France. The brief came from Code Academy and it was about a support fund idea, something to help girls in different regions of Azerbaijan who don't have access to education or who face pressure from their families to not study. We had to come up with a visual language that could carry that message and actually make people care about it. Judging was 50/50 between the idea and the execution, so we couldn't just have a strong concept, we also had to make it look good. With only 24 hours it was rough, but we got something we were really proud of in the end, and I think that's also part of why it won. Going to Cannes Lions after that was a completely different feeling, especially at 22, hard to explain really. I got to meet talented creatives from different countries and just listen to people who've been in the industry for years. Seeing what's possible at that level, the best work from around the world, it changes how you look at your own work. Honestly still hoping I get another shot at going back one day.